For the last 20 years, Phil has been brightening up his workplace with smiles, wit, and a dedication to hard work. He was recently honored for his 20-year employment milestone with Albertsons and given an anniversary pin in front of friends, family, and coworkers.

“He’s a very, very hard worker, and he has a great sense of humor,” said Phil’s store manager, Cheryl. “He interacts really well with all the associates and the customers. I really enjoy having him here at the store.”

Phil at his 20-year employment anniversary celebration.

Phil’s mother, Rachel, was proudly smiling from the sidelines as Phil was honored.

“Because of Phil’s disability and because Albertsons has been so good to him, I was very, very proud of Phil … He’s a very kind person, and I’m just really proud of how he’s come along and what he’s done,” she said.

Phil has worked at a couple of locations throughout his 20-year career, but Rachel said Phil makes friends wherever he goes and is very dedicated to his friendships. Phil has made so many friends over his lifetime that some of them go out of their way to shop where Phil is working.

It’s apparent that Phil loves his job – whether he’s doing go-backs, reigning in shopping carts, cleaning, or bagging groceries and helping people out to their cars – because he often has a smile on his face and always has a positive spirit. Even Phil’s mother says he never complains about going to work – he just enjoys it that much. According to his manager, Cheryl, Phil’s only complaint is that he can’t wear jeans to work like he was able to in the past.

When Phil got the added responsibility of bagging groceries, his employment consultant, Candace, decided that Phil wasn’t just going to complete his task – he was going to complete it at record speed. So Phil began racing the cashiers – could he bag all the groceries before the cashier handed the customer their receipt?

“He will be the first to brag about how many times he has won this little game,” said Candace, adding that

Vadis honored Albertsons with a plaque commemorating their 20 year partnership and commitment to the employment of people with disabilities. Pictured is Employment Consultant Candace with Albertsons store manager, Cheryl.

Phil likes to pretend he is blowing smoke off a gun when he beats the cashiers, letting them know they’ve been smoked. “That is how funny Phil can be.”

Not only is Phil great at his job, but he is also your go-to historian. He loves to read and has a wealth of knowledge about the Civil War, airplanes, and ships. He also loves Star Wars, sports, music, traveling – and he’s even been known to break out a few dance moves at work.

“Every day is a great day for Phil,” Candace said. “He is always happy and positive. This is one of the reasons why his coworkers love to work with him.”